Sunday, January 13, 2002		Dream Theme

Dreaming of thorns
Vinaya Katoch Manhas

Although flowers are a reoccurring symbol in dreams, seeing thorns is rare.

According to Indian thought, to see yourself trapped in a bush of thorns in your dreams is a warning of impending problems and difficulties. You have to be prepared to face them and deal with them. Financial loss, too, could be on the cards. If in spite of being surrounded by thorny bushes you do not get hurt or pricked by them, even then it is not taken as a very good dream. The difference lies in the severity of bad luck coming your way. Such a dream where you do not get hurt, foretells quick solutions to problems.

Should you dream that the path you are walking on is littered with thorns and the thorns prick you as you walk, beware of enemies plotting against you. Should you bleed when the thorns prick you then you stand to lose in business and financial transactions. On the other hand if you succeed in crossing thorny hurdles without getting hurt, then it means that you shall triumph over your enemies and their plans shall fail.

As per western ideology dreaming of thorns foretells dissatisfaction in every field. Any attempt at advancements shall fail due to the evil designs of the people around you. Should the thorns be covered by flowers or leaves then beware of secret enemies in the guise of friends. They shall stand in the way of your success. Among Christians thorns are associated with Christ. The crown of thorns which he wore symbolised his suffering for his beliefs. To Christians it signifies their quest for spirituality.

Psychologically speaking, to dream of being pricked by thorns means that a minor difficulty has got through your defences. If the thorn draws blood, then it means that we need to take a good look at our vulnerabilities.

If a woman dreams that she has been pricked by a thorn and has got hurt then it could be a symbol of her fears regarding intercourse. In general dreaming of thorns denotes physical suffering. In matters of health it can also portray vulnerability to infections.

A 45-year-old man often dreamt of walking on thorns. When he looked on the road for thorns, he could not see any but the moment he put his foot down a thorn would prick him. Although it would hurt him but when he removed the thorn there would be no blood or scar on his foot.

Such a dream portrays an overly cautious attitude on the part of the dreamer. Yet eventually he makes mistakes. The dream could also mean that the person has committed a mistake even though he was fully aware of the repercussions of his acts. His being aware of the thorns on his path means that he knew what he was doing. Such a dream warns the dreamer to mend his ways.